Fighter Jason to travel to America to battle cancer

Jason, whose story was featured on the front page of the Weekender last week, said he hoped to be given a date in the next two weeks for the Proton Beam Therapy treatment he hopes will successfully tackle the brain tumour he was diagnosed with more than four years ago.

Jason said: “I’m hoping to have a conference call with the doctor out in Oklahoma in the next couple of weeks and that should confirm when we’re flying out.”

The Goldthorpe dad of three’s wife Verona has set up the Jason’s Journey Appeal to cover the £75,000 cost of the pioneering treatment.

And the couple have been overwhelmed by the support of fund-raisers and well-wishers.

Among them are big-hearted John Beard, formerly of Bolton on Dearne, who decided to help others undergoing treatment after his own battle against cancer.

The 55-year-old railways manager, who was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2013, decided to raise cash for Cancer Research UK in tribute to the care he received at Weston Park Cancer Hospital in Sheffield and went on to raise £3,000 with a charity event at The Albert Club in West Melton last year.

He was planning to repeat the feat this summer, but when he heard about Jason’s case, he had found a new cause to support.

After gathering raffle and auction items from the likes of Rangers FC and the Irish national football team, John put an evening of live entertainment at The Albert Club in May which brought in more than £10,000.

The event featured the rare sight of the diehard Chelsea fan being sponsored to wear the shirt of their London rivals Tottenham for the evening.

John said: “People came from all over Britain and further afield for the do.”

Never one to rest on his laurels, John has turned his attentions to organising another fund-raising event at Bolton’s Macron Stadium, with details due to be released later in the summer.

John’s brother Lee said his brother should be praised for his courage in keeping his cancer a secret while their father was seriously ill in hospital.

“He was just dealing with it by himself,” he said.

“He’s never told us how he’s being treated or how it’s going, he just tell us the treatment is doing what it’s supposed to.”

For his part, John confirmed that he was not currently undergoing treatment but was being monitored.

John is not the only Beard raising cash for Jason as his brother Keith is planning a skydive for the Jason’s Journey appeal.